Peak week/2 weeks out need tips

[JCR97]

Any tips out there from you guys help. Would like to here what has worked for you guys 2 weeks out and what you have done during peak week (dropping water, etc) just trying to see what’s up.

 

[JCR97]

Bump

 

[John Smeton]

Don't train to exhaustion or complete failure. I say even exercises that dont tax your body with too heavy weight, like instead of 4-5 plate per wide hack squats I might do a set of 185lb hack sissy squats for 15-20 reps.

low sodium as possible the day before the contest

water cut that evening . its okay to sip a little and very little water the day of the competition.

 

[JCR97]

Don't train to exhaustion or complete failure. I say even exercises that dont tax your body with too heavy weight, like instead of 4-5 plate per wide hack squats I might do a set of 185lb hack sissy squats for 15-20 reps.

low sodium as possible the day before the contest

water cut that evening . its okay to sip a little and very little water the day of the competition.

Ok sounds good so go lighter and just chase a pump?


As far as cutting water why do I read online that you shouldn’t? I want to cut water but scared from online articles stating you’ll look flat. Currently drinking about 4-5 litres a day. Also as far as stimulants when should I cut them out?

 

[The Solution]

DO NOT CUT WATER or cut sodium. Both is a MAJOR no no

The Science Behind Salt Intake

The body stores water inside and outside of body's cells. The stuff inside is great; it makes your muscles look full. "Extracellular" water is what people are attempting to eliminate by cutting water and taking diuretics.

The body maintains a 70/30 ratio of intracellular-to-extracellular water, a ratio tightly controlled by internal systems. Your body's water balance is so crucial to cell function, ion balance, blood volume, and blood pressure that it's regulated by the minute! There's no way to pull water from one compartment only without affecting the other.

This is a big reason why you always hear people at shows talk about never having been able to fill out or get a pump.

Competitors who couldn't fill out the day of the show, no matter their carb consumption, often experience a weird epiphany after their post-contest cheat meal: They look 10 times better an hour after pigging out!

The carbs didn't fill out their muscles; the water and sodium did! In contrast, carbs consumed while cutting water will never fill you out properly.

What sodium depletion does is increase levels of aldosterone, a hormone whose job it is to cause the re-absorption and retention of water and sodium.

After two days of sodium depletion (standard in most peak week protocols) aldosterone levels have doubled! Cut out sodium even earlier, and by Day 6 levels have more than tripled!

Elevations in aldosterone will cause increased water retention as the kidney reabsorbs both sodium and water back into circulation. Deficiencies in dietary sodium also lead to a drop in blood pressure, pushing plasma water out of the vascular system.

That means less water in blood vessels, making you appear full and vascular; and more in the surrounding space, making you appear soft. What's more, you're now reabsorbing more water back into circulation due to elevated aldosterone.

Keep water and sodium intake the same. If you're used to drinking 2 gallons of water a day, continue drinking that amount up till an hour or two before the show-and that's just so you don't feel like you have to pee standing onstage! Similarly, if you're accustomed to eating 3 grams of sodium a day, continue doing so during peak week.

Ok sounds good so go lighter and just chase a pump?


As far as cutting water why do I read online that you shouldn’t? I want to cut water but scared from online articles stating you’ll look flat. Currently drinking about 4-5 litres a day. Also as far as stimulants when should I cut them out?

 

[JCR97]

DO NOT CUT WATER or cut sodium. Both is a MAJOR no no

The Science Behind Salt Intake

The body stores water inside and outside of body's cells. The stuff inside is great; it makes your muscles look full. "Extracellular" water is what people are attempting to eliminate by cutting water and taking diuretics.

The body maintains a 70/30 ratio of intracellular-to-extracellular water, a ratio tightly controlled by internal systems. Your body's water balance is so crucial to cell function, ion balance, blood volume, and blood pressure that it's regulated by the minute! There's no way to pull water from one compartment only without affecting the other.

This is a big reason why you always hear people at shows talk about never having been able to fill out or get a pump.

Competitors who couldn't fill out the day of the show, no matter their carb consumption, often experience a weird epiphany after their post-contest cheat meal: They look 10 times better an hour after pigging out!

The carbs didn't fill out their muscles; the water and sodium did! In contrast, carbs consumed while cutting water will never fill you out properly.

What sodium depletion does is increase levels of aldosterone, a hormone whose job it is to cause the re-absorption and retention of water and sodium.

After two days of sodium depletion (standard in most peak week protocols) aldosterone levels have doubled! Cut out sodium even earlier, and by Day 6 levels have more than tripled!

Elevations in aldosterone will cause increased water retention as the kidney reabsorbs both sodium and water back into circulation. Deficiencies in dietary sodium also lead to a drop in blood pressure, pushing plasma water out of the vascular system.

That means less water in blood vessels, making you appear full and vascular; and more in the surrounding space, making you appear soft. What's more, you're now reabsorbing more water back into circulation due to elevated aldosterone.

Keep water and sodium intake the same. If you're used to drinking 2 gallons of water a day, continue drinking that amount up till an hour or two before the show-and that's just so you don't feel like you have to pee standing onstage! Similarly, if you're accustomed to eating 3 grams of sodium a day, continue doing so during peak week.

Huge thanks for chiming in solution! Appreciate it man so during peak week nothing too drastic should be happening?

 

[The Solution]

If you need to do drastic things peak week, You clearly are not ready or in contest shape.

Huge thanks for chiming in solution! Appreciate it man so during peak week nothing too drastic should be happening?

 

[JCR97]

If you need to do drastic things peak week, You clearly are not ready or in contest shape.

And as far as carb loading? I’m thinking of just doubling the carbs I’m doing now and reducing fats and a bit of protein. Just like Layne Norton says in his videos.

 

[The Solution]

Too hard to say
way too many variables to know how much you need and what to modify.

If you have been doing refeeds all along your prep, how do you look the day after? How do you feel? You need to use these to know what fills you out and what could cause you to spill. There is no magical formula or guideline to follow everything has to be tailored to you and how your body responds.

The carb choices can also be tricky, are you geting a proper amount of sodium, potassium to keep a balance? this will help you get a btter pump and look fuller on stage. Are you taking in enough water to shuttle the nurients
etc etc.
Too broad of a question especially with not knowing what you did all prep and how you modified your refeeds or cheats and what you looked like.

And as far as carb loading? I’m thinking of just doubling the carbs I’m doing now and reducing fats and a bit of protein. Just like Layne Norton says in his videos.

 

[John Smeton]

Ok sounds good so go lighter and just chase a pump?


As far as cutting water why do I read online that you shouldn’t? I want to cut water but scared from online articles stating you’ll look flat. Currently drinking about 4-5 litres a day. Also as far as stimulants when should I cut them out?

yeah the last week thats fine. I dont train lighter really, just as heavy as I can with impeccable form, and not going to failure.

whered you read that?

to cut water the evening and night before, I mean sip a little with your meals.

I wouldnt cut stimulates out at all, the only one if you take it is yohimbine as this can holds water and thats to be cut 1-2 weeks prior. I cut mine out or taper them out after the competition is over.

heres a good article by the guy with the most muscle and leanest in the world up until 1993. He broke the human record for muscle and conditioning, untill Ronnie, but he knew conditioning pretty well

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/training/14873-how-to-peak-on-competition-day-dorian-yates-explains.html#.W8irCWhKgdU

Dave palumbo has some good stuff as well. I recommend researching more, and trying things and see how it works for you. Ive done six contest preps and six competitions and tapering down water the evening of and very very little water at night , into the show has worked for me.

 

[The Solution]

The question is have you ever kept it consistent (Water), and how did you look? I can almost bet that if you did you would be shocked at how much better you looked. Just because you have not tried it doesn't mean you can rule it out saying its effective or ineffective. There is too much dogma on cutting water over the years, and once people realized it wasn't beenficial and you can look better drinking more water it is now becoming a trend. Water is important for pushing nutrients, sodium, and carbohydrates into our bodies and filling out our muscles.
If you want to try and carb up and limit water, you are LIMITING your transportation to your muscles. this is why people can look flat. They can eat a boatload of carbs, but they cant be transported to the muscles properly.

A great example. People look much the day after a show when they eat a bunch of high sodium & carb foods and drink a lot of water. You wonder why? They restricted both leading into the show and once they give their body what they want they simply start to pop

Give it a shot next time, or even when dieting and you do a carb-up/refeed keep water and sodium high and see how your body reacts. It may make you realize there could be more to it then restricting water. Worth a shot!

yeah the last week thats fine. I dont train lighter really, just as heavy as I can with impeccable form, and not going to failure.

whered you read that?

to cut water the evening and night before, I mean sip a little with your meals.

I wouldnt cut stimulates out at all, the only one if you take it is yohimbine as this can holds water and thats to be cut 1-2 weeks prior. I cut mine out or taper them out after the competition is over.

heres a good article by the guy with the most muscle and leanest in the world up until 1993. He broke the human record for muscle and conditioning, untill Ronnie, but he knew conditioning pretty well

http://www.musculardevelopment.com/training/14873-how-to-peak-on-competition-day-dorian-yates-explains.html#.W8irCWhKgdU

Dave palumbo has some good stuff as well. I recommend researching more, and trying things and see how it works for you. Ive done six contest preps and six competitions and tapering down water the evening of and very very little water at night , into the show has worked for me.

 

[John Smeton]

The question is have you ever kept it consistent (Water), and how did you look? I can almost bet that if you did you would be shocked at how much better you looked. Just because you have not tried it doesn't mean you can rule it out saying its effective or ineffective. There is too much dogma on cutting water over the years, and once people realized it wasn't beenficial and you can look better drinking more water it is now becoming a trend. Water is important for pushing nutrients, sodium, and carbohydrates into our bodies and filling out our muscles.
If you want to try and carb up and limit water, you are LIMITING your transportation to your muscles. this is why people can look flat. They can eat a boatload of carbs, but they cant be transported to the muscles properly.

A great example. People look much the day after a show when they eat a bunch of high sodium & carb foods and drink a lot of water. You wonder why? They restricted both leading into the show and once they give their body what they want they simply start to pop

Give it a shot next time, or even when dieting and you do a carb-up/refeed keep water and sodium high and see how your body reacts. It may make you realize there could be more to it then restricting water. Worth a shot!

Of course you want to carb load with lots of water. Carbs are mostly water weight anyways. Carbing up , if youre in ripped inside out conditioning, is probally best done 2-3-4 days before. It depends how your looking. If your not ripped inside out, which few competitors including myself have never truly been, we've been competitive mind you, you cant really carb as hard because your not TRULEY ripped inside out to begin with.

Having said that, Ive Never tried drinking lots of water in all of my six competitions because it never made sense to me. Have you tried restricting water the night before?

although some use diuretics, or some use both diuretics and water restriction.

Lots of water



Restricted water



all that said you have a point because after my first competiton this year, I did an a;; you can eat buffet and drinking lots of fluids I seemed to look my fullest and didn't lose my conditioning. I have a friend, that ate w hole pizza the night before, in his hotel room, and I thought he looked amazing , not during prejudging, but the night show he hardened up a lot and I saw it, but I think it was too late because prejudging makes the biggest impression, and he placed fourth.
I stay open minded. Right doing cutting water does something to aldosterone levels, which makes one look dier.

btw you're looking pretty grainy in the Instagram picture I liked yesterday.

 

[JCR97]

WATER

From what I’ve come up with between you guys and that article is that I have kept water intake to about 1.5 gallons through my prep. I will up to 2 gallons now until Friday night. Which I will do like in that article although I don’t think I will use a diuretic like dandelion root because like you said solution not worth it and from reading your article there’s no point in trying to confuse the body when it already knows what’s up because it adapts extremely quick but I don’t want to be bloated either so I don’t want to drink a tonne of water the day of the show.


CARBS

I like the idea of carbing up earlier in early mid week as in Wednesday afternoon and keeping fluids high like you said solution. John your friend that ate the pizza seems like he didn’t carb up early enough it seems like it takes 24h to truly see a visual. So by doing this Wednesday afternoon i can see what I look like Thursday afternoon which I will assess wether or not I need more carbs. I currently eat 175-190g of carbs per day I want to look into studies to see if there truly exists a “supercompensation effect”. If there is I will bring this down to 120g of carbs until this Wednesday and then bring it up to 250g to keep it conservative.

SODIUM&POTASSIUM
I’m not at an elite level of expertise and don’t want to screw around with these so what I will do which I have done is put salt in my pre workout which seems to bring out my cuts and vascularity I use those little packets of salt I use only 1 pre workout. As far as when I carb load I will use carbs that I know my body can handle which is oats and berries. I have eaten these for my whole prep.


For your pictures John I don’t want to critique them because you don’t have the same level of lighting you would have to tell me how you FELT and LOOKED wth the water restriction. I say felt because I don’t want to cramp up on stage.

Another point is I used a waist slimmer belt and seems every time I sweat from my abs area and lose water I lose lots of definition. Another point is when I play hockey and sweat a tonne I look like **** after and the day after. Which tells me cutting water isn’t for me.

 

[JCR97]

I’m not extremely ripped inside out like you said John. This is my first competition in a small natural amateur federation lineups usually 10 or less people. Trying to post up pics but not working

 

[JCR97]

 

[John Smeton]

WATER

From what I’ve come up with between you guys and that article is that I have kept water intake to about 1.5 gallons through my prep. I will up to 2 gallons now until Friday night. Which I will do like in that article although I don’t think I will use a diuretic like dandelion root because like you said solution not worth it and from reading your article there’s no point in trying to confuse the body when it already knows what’s up because it adapts extremely quick but I don’t want to be bloated either so I don’t want to drink a tonne of water the day of the show.


CARBS

I like the idea of carbing up earlier in early mid week as in Wednesday afternoon and keeping fluids high like you said solution. John your friend that ate the pizza seems like he didn’t carb up early enough it seems like it takes 24h to truly see a visual. So by doing this Wednesday afternoon i can see what I look like Thursday afternoon which I will assess wether or not I need more carbs. I currently eat 175-190g of carbs per day I want to look into studies to see if there truly exists a “supercompensation effect”. If there is I will bring this down to 120g of carbs until this Wednesday and then bring it up to 250g to keep it conservative.

SODIUM&POTASSIUM
I’m not at an elite level of expertise and don’t want to screw around with these so what I will do which I have done is put salt in my pre workout which seems to bring out my cuts and vascularity I use those little packets of salt I use only 1 pre workout. As far as when I carb load I will use carbs that I know my body can handle which is oats and berries. I have eaten these for my whole prep.


For your pictures John I don’t want to critique them because you don’t have the same level of lighting you would have to tell me how you FELT and LOOKED wth the water restriction. I say felt because I don’t want to cramp up on stage.

Another point is I used a waist slimmer belt and seems every time I sweat from my abs area and lose water I lose lots of definition. Another point is when I play hockey and sweat a tonne I look like **** after and the day after. Which tells me cutting water isn’t for me.

yes best to keep carb loading conservative if you're not peeled inside out. You sound intelligent in how this works, some of it trial and error , and correcting course when you go off course. Its a constant learning process

I’m not extremely ripped inside out like you said John. This is my first competition in a small natural amateur federation lineups usually 10 or less people. Trying to post up pics but not working

My First one was a "natty" NGA federation nine years ago. what organization is it? Looking forward to your pictures. I would do as much as you can to relax. watch a movie, relax, take a walk if hungry etc. Staying calm and grounded during contest preps helps a lot.

 

[John Smeton]

View attachment 172781

yeah you're very, very lean. Condition is there, you just need more muscle. Something about having more muscle and being as conditioned as you, makes one look leaner. You would look more conditioned if you had more muscle.

At least you have conditioning down. Whether youll be competitive in your class obviously depends on the guys your competing against. You look good. Up to you whether you want to add muscle and the intelligent difficult work it takes. If done right you can make some dramatic changes in two weeks . I did between two shows this year.

 

[JCR97]

yeah you're very, very lean. Condition is there, you just need more muscle. Something about having more muscle and being as conditioned as you, makes one look leaner. At least you have conditioning down. Whether youll be competitive in your class obviously depends on the guys your competing against. You look good. Up to you whether you want to add muscle and the intelligent difficult work it takes. If done right you can make some dramatic changes in two weeks . I did between two shows this year.

How do you do so? By carbing up? Like you said In your first post. Thanks man I appreciate that. Also I know it’s not cookie cutter just looking for principles.

 

[The Solution]

Of course you want to carb load with lots of water. Carbs are mostly water weight anyways. Carbing up , if youre in ripped inside out conditioning, is probally best done 2-3-4 days before. It depends how your looking. If your not ripped inside out, which few competitors including myself have never truly been, we've been competitive mind you, you cant really carb as hard because your not TRULEY ripped inside out to begin with.

Having said that, Ive Never tried drinking lots of water in all of my six competitions because it never made sense to me. Have you tried restricting water the night before?

although some use diuretics, or some use both diuretics and water restriction.

Lots of water



Restricted water



all that said you have a point because after my first competiton this year, I did an a;; you can eat buffet and drinking lots of fluids I seemed to look my fullest and didn't lose my conditioning. I have a friend, that ate w hole pizza the night before, in his hotel room, and I thought he looked amazing , not during prejudging, but the night show he hardened up a lot and I saw it, but I think it was too late because prejudging makes the biggest impression, and he placed fourth.
I stay open minded. Right doing cutting water does something to aldosterone levels, which makes one look dier.

btw you're looking pretty grainy in the Instagram picture I liked yesterday.

Cutting water

Not cutting water

You tell me what’s better

 

[JCR97]

Cutting water

Not cutting water

You tell me what’s better

Man you look SHREDDED in that last pic jeeez.

 

[The Solution]

Fuller and leaner with water in
Flattened out in seconds when I cut water and limited if

Live and you learn
I will never be lower my water intake ever again

 

[JCR97]

Fuller and leaner with water in
Flattened out in seconds when I cut water and limited if

Live and you learn
I will never be lower my water intake ever again

What’d you do for carbs?

 

[The Solution]

About 1100 over Thursday and Friday

Again nobody is the same and I would not suggest this for everyone because it was a lot and my body is not yours

Hence my first post to you on gauging what you did over the weeks and tweak based off what the ‘mirror showed .

You can ask 100
People and you will get 100
Different answers you need to do want has worked for
You and what you have done all prep making a drastic
Change in the last 2 weeks is a recipe for
Disaster

I would personally hire a coach to peak you and come into your show at your best instead of playing the guessing game

My 2 cents

What’d you do for carbs?

 

[John Smeton]

How do you do so? By carbing up? Like you said In your first post. Thanks man I appreciate that. Also I know it’s not cookie cutter just looking for principles.

how do you do what?

 

[JCR97]

how do you do what?

About adding muscle in 2 weeks you said I could make dramatic changes in 2 weeks I’m just wondering what you meant.

 

[JCR97]

About 1100 over Thursday and Friday

Again nobody is the same and I would not suggest this for everyone because it was a lot and my body is not yours

Hence my first post to you on gauging what you did over the weeks and tweak based off what the ‘mirror showed .

You can ask 100
People and you will get 100
Different answers you need to do want has worked for
You and what you have done all prep making a drastic
Change in the last 2 weeks is a recipe for
Disaster

I would personally hire a coach to peak you and come into your show at your best instead of playing the guessing game

My 2 cents

If funds were there I would but school is expensive I started at 207lbs at 22%bf 4 months ago. I got this far without one and I don’t think I’ll have the means to come up with the funds for one. Although I thank you for giving me your insight because I am not lokkkng for a diet I am just looking for principles and past experiences that I can base principles off of for example I know if you carbed up that much and it worked for you. Although I might not have the metabolism for that it is safe to say it is doable for certain people including you so therefore the principle is you carbed up and it worked now it’s up to me to come up with a number that is safe.

 

[JCR97]

yes best to keep carb loading conservative if you're not peeled inside out. You sound intelligent in how this works, some of it trial and error , and correcting course when you go off course. Its a constant learning process



My First one was a "natty" NGA federation nine years ago. what organization is it? Looking forward to your pictures. I would do as much as you can to relax. watch a movie, relax, take a walk if hungry etc. Staying calm and grounded during contest preps helps a lot.

Just saw this and it’s IDFA 129 Gatineau

 

[JCR97]

This is my macros that I will follow not looking for any sort of super compensation effect but I will cut carbs tomorrow to test this theory slightly so below 100g then say Saturday to Saturday I will use these macros

pardon the French
Lipides = fats
Glucides = carbs

 

[JCR97]

Another quick question say I were to do some physical activity before every carb meal to ensure proper insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal you think it’ll help or it’s broscience

 

[John Smeton]

About adding muscle in 2 weeks you said I could make dramatic changes in 2 weeks I’m just wondering what you meant.

No you wont be able to add muscle in two weeks that'll take a year, couple , or few years, depending how fast you can put it own, whilst being safe, aka no injuries.

I meant you can get much more conditioned. I've done it this year where my metabolism was on a roll and in two weeks between both my shows, I made dramatic improvements onstage. You got this!

 

[The Solution]

broscience
just pose.

275g of carbs prob way too low to fill out. You will still look flat IMO
Judging off your pic (dindt see you back) you still have a good 5-8 pounds to lose to be in good contest shape.

Another quick question say I were to do some physical activity before every carb meal to ensure proper insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal you think it’ll help or it’s broscience

 

[JCR97]

broscience
just pose.

275g of carbs prob way too low to fill out. You will still look flat IMO
Judging off your pic (dindt see you back) you still have a good 5-8 pounds to lose to be in good contest shape.

Ok thank you and I’m 5 days out therefore not looking to do anything crazy (a lot of people try protein only and stuff a few days out I like to treat my metabolism with care and I like your views on how you do things which is not taxing your body ) and already paid for the show so there’s no backing out. I appreciate the feedback will bump up carbs and will know now that I need better conditioning for my next show. I’m sure it will come easier because my body is now at a new set point. One more question how do you know when you have spilled over? What are some indicators? (I know it depends on the body but again we’re all human so there are obviously common themes)

 

[JCR97]

No you wont be able to add muscle in two weeks that'll take a year, couple , or few years, depending how fast you can put it own, whilst being safe, aka no injuries.

I meant you can get much more conditioned. I've done it this year where my metabolism was on a roll and in two weeks between both my shows, I made dramatic improvements onstage. You got this!

Thanks bro

 

[The Solution]

Ok thank you and I’m 5 days out therefore not looking to do anything crazy (a lot of people try protein only and stuff a few days out I like to treat my metabolism with care and I like your views on how you do things which is not taxing your body ) and already paid for the show so there’s no backing out. I appreciate the feedback will bump up carbs and will know now that I need better conditioning for my next show. I’m sure it will come easier because my body is now at a new set point. One more question how do you know when you have spilled over? What are some indicators? (I know it depends on the body but again we’re all human so there are obviously common themes)

you will lose definition and look watery from too many carbs.
Also if you track Blood Glucose it will start raising pretty fast if you monitor during your carb load.

 

[JCR97]

you will lose definition and look watery from too many carbs.
Also if you track Blood Glucose it will start raising pretty fast if you monitor during your carb load.

Ok thank you solution loads of info here for me